Mail-chute.



'2 SHEETS-SHEET l Patented Sept.22, 1908. Y

J. W. UUTLER MAIL GHUTB. APPLICATION IILED JAN. 9, 1906.

wi meme:

| I 1 i z i 50 I ter deposited into the chute tirou h the To all whom it may concern:

UNITED sri-irns PATENT onnron.

JOSEPHWARREN CUTLER, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGXOR 'ro CUTLER MANUFAGTUR= .nve COMPANY, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

MAIL-CHUTE, 1

Be it known that I, JosEPn WARREN CUT- LER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Chutes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improvements in mail chutes for conductin postal matter from different parts of a bui ding to a suitable collection receptacle, and the object of my invention is to provide such a devlce that may be readily opened to afford the proper authorities access to its interior for the purposes of cleanin and removing obstructions, while when the parts of the chute are in normal operative position, they will be locked to prevent tampering at the hands of unauthorized ersons.

To these and other en 3 the invention consists in vcertain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out more fully in the claims at theend of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ortion of a mail chute constructed in accorr ance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section through the chute on the line 2--2, Fig. 1, the' dotted lines indicating the manner of removing the locking member. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the abutting ends of the chute sections, the locking member being removed and one of the sections being shown in opened position; and Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 4.4 of Fig. 1, a portion of the chute being broken away.

Similar parts in the several views are indicated by thesame numerals.

Mail chutes asusually constructed extend from the upper story of a building, downwardly through the-several floors to a suitable collection receptacle on the lower floor, the entire chute being under control of the postal authorities in order that ostal matmail receiving apertures on the several floors will hein custody of the post ofhce authori- 1 ties.

7 It is the purpose of my present invention Specification of Letters Patent. Patented. Sept. 22, 1908. Application filedianuary 9, 190G. Bexial'No. 295,211. i

loc ed to prevent access to all parties except the postal authorities, the construction of tire chute being such that by unlocking the proper part or section, access may be readily to any desired part of the chute for the to provide such a chute that will normallyv of superposed sections, the abutting portions of two of such sections 1 and 2 each embodying in the present instance a casing 3 forming the back and sides of the chute, and a front 4 preferably having a transparent or glass panel 5 fitted therein. The cooperatin ends of the chute sections are provided 1 with the attaching flanges 6 and 7 respectively Which referably embrace or surround the chute and to the chute casing. These flanges are formed to fit closely, one above the other, and one of them is preferably provided with a beveled surface 8 arranged between the adjacent ends of the casings 3 for insuring a smooth passagebetween the chute sections for the postal matter. Each fiange has a hinge connection with a bracket or support 9 by means of a suitable hinge 10, the latter being of an desired construction-but preferably of suc form that the chute flanges may be readily detached from the bracket when it is necessary to remove a chute section, the hinge tions when the: are being swung into and out of operative position, thus avoiding the necessity of taking down the chute sections when it is necessary to obtain access to the chute. The bracket or support 9 is adapted to receive suitable fastening devices 11 by means of which it is secured to a wall or other stationary object 12, these fastenings being preferably located at such points that they will be concealed when the attaching flanges 6 and 7 of the chute sections are in operative position.

In order to prevent unauthorized opening or removal of the chute sections, a locking member 14 is provided which may be of any suitable construction capable of preventing opening movement of the chute sections b unauthorized parties, a suitable key-lock being provided whereby the locking member are riveted or otherwise fixed.

ordinarily serving to. support the chute secpurpose.

permit the opening or removal of the sections. Y

This locking member in the present embodimentcornprises ayoke-shaped band or strap adaptedi to extend, across the front and around he sides of the chute and overlap the attaching flanges 6 and-7 of the respective sections to close the jo nt or space between them, a hook or projection 15 being formed on the band at one side of the chute. to cooperate with a corresponding projection 16 on a part of the bracket 9, a part of the hinge being utilized in the present instance for this This hook and projectionforms a pivotal and detachable connection of such nature that when the band is swung around to release the chute sections it may be removed if desired by disen aging these parts. This lockin member at the opposite side of the chute 1s rovided with a key-lock 17 having a lockmg device 18 adapted to cooperate with a corresponding lock member 19 preferably on the bracket 9, the lock being of any desired construction although a key lock is referr .d, as the key may be removed from t re chut and kept in custody of the proper authorities.

A mail chute constructed in accordance with my present invention aifords convenient means of access to any portion thereof for the purposes of cleaning, repair, inspection or removal of obstructions, as each chute section ma be swung into open osition independently ting section and therefore without disturbing them in any way, and as it is unnecessary to detach the sections by reason of their hinged or pivotal connect-ion with their supports, when the sections are swung into and out of operative positions, the alinement of the chute is perserved and unnecessary handling and labor are avoided, and while all portions of the chute are readily accessible to the proper authorities, by employing a suitable lockiug device, the entire chute will be under exclusive control of the authorities, and malicious tampering with thechute or the matter contained therein is practically im ossible.

t is generally preferable to employ a keylock for controlling the operation or removal of the parts of the chute, for this enables the key to be removed and he t in custody by the proper authorities, anil in the resent embodiment of the invention the loc '-1'nen1- ber 18 is adapted to be rotated or otherwise actuated by a suitable key 20 while the said member is in cooperative relation with the corresponding part of the lock 19 in fixed relation with the bracket 9, the latter forming a back or backing adapted to beheld in position against a wall or other object 12 by means of the securing screws 11. When the chute is in proper position for service, portions thereof will extend over and conceal of the adjacent or i ut-.

the securing. or fastening devices 11, and as the :lock proper 1s prcfcrabl removable as well as th band or. chance- 14, the chute member 18 ofthc lock by means of the key. llo\vevcr,'m v invcntion'is not limited to the particular const ructio'n'slrown, as the details in construc i n; and arrangements :of the parts and the manner iu'which the locking means are applied to'the chute may be varied..

Some of the features, of ,this invention broadly considered are claimed in my pendin application filed October 24, 1904, berial No. 229,749.

I claim as my invention.

1. A mail chute mounted in pivotal rela-" tion with a su )port.

2. The com unation with a support; of a mail chute having a pivotal connection therewith. 7

3. The combination with a support, of'a mail chute embodying two or more sections each having a pivotal connection with the support.

pendeutly operable sections lunged to the support. l 5. The combination mail chute embodying two or more sections dctachably hinged to the support.

6. The combination with a mail chute embodying two supcnoscd sections, of a su port, and a pivota connection between t 1e sections and said support.

7. The combination with a, mail chute embodying superposed sections, and attaching hinge members thereon, of a support having hinge members cooperating with those of the flanges for supporting the sections in pivotal relation therewith.

S. The combination with a mail chute embodying superposed sections, and support of a pivot connection between the support and the sections for supporting the latter and permitting them to swing in planes transverse of the chute.

9. The combination with a mail chute embodying superposed sections arranged end toend, of a support, a pivotal connection between the sections and support, and a lock ing member for controlling movement of the sections.

10. The combination with a mail chute embodying hollow sections placed end to end, a support, and a pivotal connection between the sections and support, of a locking member for controlling movement of the sections and covering the joint between the ends of the sections.

embodying sections placed end to end, a su at. The combination with a support, of a mail chute embodying super'iosed, 1nde-.

with a support, of a maybe effectually locked in place by applies: tion of the band and actuation of the 100K379 flanges on the respective sections having 11. 'lhe combination with a mail chute port, and a pivotal connection between t 1e 13 r 1 Y t b sections and support, of a locking member for the sections embodying a band overlap- )ing the sections and connecting thejoint I )etween them, and a lock for preventing unauthorized removal of said band.

- 12'. The combination with afmail chute embodying sect-ions placed end to end, a su 5 port, and pivotal connections between tl ie sections and so )port, of a locking member embodying a v0 'e-sha )ed band overlapping the abutting ends-of t 10 chute sections and having a detachable connection atone side i of the chute with the su iport, and a lock at the opposite sideof the c iute for locking said band to the sup ort.

13. The com ination with a support, and a movable chute, of a movable member engaging the su portat one end extending over the chute anrlcarrying at its other end a key cont-rolled locking device adapted to cooperate with the support to secure the chute in position. p

14; The combination with a support and a movable chute, of a movable member detachably engaging the support at one end, extending over the chute and carrying at the other end a key controlled locking device adapted to cooperate with the support to secure the chute in position. V

15. The combination with a su port and a movable chute, of a band pivota ly connected atone side of the chute extending over the latter and carrying at its free end a key lock the sup )ort to secure t 1e band in position. 3'5

16. he combination with a support and a movable. chute, of a band having a detachable pivotal connect-ion with the support at one side of the chute, extending over the latter and carrying at its other end 'a key con- 0 trolled lock embodying a movable part cooperating with the support to secure the band in position. p

17. The combination with a mail chute,

and a stationary support having a projection at one side of the chute, of a removable securing band adapted to extend over the chute having a detachable hinge connection with the support at one side of the chute and a locking device for securing the free end of said band to the support at the opposite side of the chute.

18. In a mail chute, a back plate, and a tube section hinged at one side to said back plate, substantially as described.

19. In a mail chute, aback plate, a hinged swinging tube section mounted thereon, and locking means for cooperating with the upper and lower portions of the side walls of.

said swinging tube section; substantially as 0 described.

JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER.

Witnesses:

M. BRAGDON, J. H. GILMORE; Jr. 

